


When Your World Ends

by SharaRaizel



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Soldier Dean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-08
Updated: 2014-07-08
Packaged: 2018-02-06 00:12:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1837282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharaRaizel/pseuds/SharaRaizel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everything changed when the Colossal Titan broke through Wall Maria. Sam lost his whole world that day. If it hadn't been for his brother, Dean, he would have lost his life as well. Now he strives to be just as good a soldier as his brother and join him as a member of the Survey Corps alongside his friends, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Your World Ends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so my freaking sister finally got me to watch Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan because it's on Netflix now so I had no excuse not to watch it and guess what? I got hooked, damn it! She's also the one responsible for getting me into Supernatural back in November, so of course I just had to do a crossover. I was really disappointed to see that no one's done a crossover (in art or fanfiction) of these fandoms yet (or at least I haven't been able to find any) so I've decided to give it a try and have had a couple ideas running around in my head for the last few days now so I drew some fan art and I started writing this fic. Enjoy!
> 
> Please leave a comment or kudos if you think I should write more. :)

“Come on, Mom!” Sam huffed. “If we don’t get down to Main Street soon, we’ll miss them!”

“Calm down, Sammy,” Mary chuckled. “The bells haven’t even rung yet to announce their return.”

As if to contradict her, the large bells on the Wall chimed out loud and clear, announcing the opening of the gate and the return of the Survey Corps.

“They’re back! Come _on_ , Mom!” Sam whined. “I want to see Dean!”

“All right, all right,” Mary laughed, making sure that her stove top was set to the lowest setting so that her soup could simmer while they were out.

It had all started just like any other day living in the Shiganshina District. John had left early that morning to start his morning shift with the Garrison, Sam had done all of his morning chores, and Mary had gone to the market that morning for ingredients to make a pie and a pot of her special tomato and rice soup in anticipation of Dean's return. John had sent word home during his lunch break that the Survey Corps had been sighted returning from their latest mission. The Scouts had left earlier that morning on their latest expedition outside the safety of the Walls that had kept humanity safe from the dreaded Titans.

Sam was both eager and worried about the Survey Corps’ return. He knew that they had a high fatality rate, so when Dean had come home after graduating from Cadet Training five months ago, he’d been both proud of and scared for Dean. John had been angry that his oldest would choose such a “foolish” branch of the military to join, and Mary had been fearful for Dean’s well being. Both she and Sam were afraid of the very real possibility that Dean would not make it home one day, but on this day they were both trying to remain optimistic. It was Dean’s first expedition outside the protective walls that had kept humanity safe for a hundred years. Surely Dean would survive his first time out… right?

Sam grabbed his mother’s hand and practically dragged her out of their house, nearly running into John and Bobby who were right outside the front door. They had just finished their day shift at Wall Maria.

“Whoa! Where’s the fire, Sammy?” John asked his youngest son.

“Come on, Dad. You heard the bells. The Scouts have returned! Dean’s coming home!” Sam cried.

Mary, John, and Bobby exchanged glances that were both amused and apprehensive. With another huff, Sam let go of Mary’s hand and ran off towards Main Street where the Survey Corps would be making their way back to their headquarters behind Walls Maria and Rose.

“Sam! Wait for us!” John yelled after him, but Sam didn’t have any patience. By the time he made it to Main Street there was already a sizable crowd and, being only 11 years old, Sam couldn’t see over everyone’s heads. Then he spotted some crates up against the wall of the nearest building and rushed over to stand up on them. He wasn’t the only one who had the same idea. He recognized Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman, his friends from a few streets over, as they joined him.

“Shit! I can’t see with all the people!” Eren was muttering as he scurried onto the crate next to Sam.

“Hello, Sam,” Mikasa bowed her head, getting up next to Eren.

“Huh?” Eren blinked, turning to see Sam before returning his attention to the street. “Oh, hi, Sam.”

“Hi, Eren. Mikasa,” Sam smiled just before the first member of the Survey Corps rounded the corner and came into view. By then John, Mary, and Bobby had caught up with Sam and were waiting anxiously for a glimpse of Dean. All of their hearts sank when the worryingly small group of Scouts came closer. The crowd in front of them began whispering in soft gasps and grim tones.

“Are these the only ones who made it back?”

“Looks like another massacre this time…”

“Even though over one hundred of them set out on the survey there are less than twenty people here… Did the rest… get eaten?”

Sam swallowed hard as he watched the surviving members of the expedition begin to pass by, and still didn’t see his big brother among them.

“Braun! Braun!!”

Sam craned his neck to see over the crowd and spotted a woman a little older than his parents approach Keith Shades, Commander of the Survey Corps.

“Excuse me,” the woman said, stopping right in front of the Commander. “My son… I don’t see my son, Braun, here… Where is my son?!”

“It’s Braun’s mother,” Commander Keith said to one of his men. “Bring it here.”

Sam felt ill when he saw the bundle that was brought to the woman from one of the tarp-covered carts. He couldn’t see what was inside it, but from the woman’s reaction and what the Commander said, it was a body part.

“That’s all… we were able to get back,” Commander Keith told her.

The poor woman bust into tears and started wailing, clutching at the bundle. Sam felt his heart clench and started to desperately look for his brother among the eighteen Scouts that had returned. He couldn’t see the last few in the back of the halted group, but every member that he could see that wasn’t Dean, made him wonder if his brother was nothing more than a dismembered body part in that cart or if they hadn’t even been able to retrieve a piece of him to bring home. None of the survivors looked like they were fresh Trainee Cadets. All of them were veterans.

“But…” the woman hiccuped, “my son… was useful to you, wasn’t he? Even if he didn’t achieve anything directly… his death… brought humanity one step closer to beating them back, right?”

Everyone was silent and awaited the Commander’s answer.

“Of course!” Commander Keith said, sounding a touch desperate to reassure the grieving woman before him, but a shocked, dreaded look fell over his face. “…No…” he whispered. “Our survey this time… this time, too… we… we accomplished nothing! Because of my incompetence… all I did was get my soldiers killed! We didn’t get any closer to finding out what those things really are!”

Sam looked over at his parents and Bobby and saw how shaken they were by the Commander’s words. Mary looked like she was ready to burst into tears herself as she craned her head around looking over the surviving Scouts for Dean.

“That’s just awful… if only they’d stayed inside the wall, they’d all be safe and sound…”

“Soldiers are nothing but a waste of our taxes…”

Sam glared at the backs of the heads of the men talking in front of them. Those dead soldiers had given their lives, and this was the thanks the population gave them for that sacrifice?!

“It’s ridiculous…”

“So basically our taxes are being used to fatten up those bastards by providing them with “snacks.””

Sam grit his teeth and wanted to punch that last guy when Eren pulled out a stick from the wood bundle he was carrying and wacked the guy in the back of the head with it.

“What do you think you’re doing, you little shit?!” the man growled.

Eren was about to reply when Mikasa yanked him off their crate and dragged him away. Sam snickered when he heard Eren complaining and asked Mikasa to let him go.

“You’ll have to forgive Eren for his impulsiveness, but you really should show some respect for the dead,” Bobby growled, preventing the jerk from following the two kids.

Sam watched as Bobby and the guy starting arguing, but ignored them when Mary cried out “Dean!” in relief and happiness.

Sam finally spotted his brother in the back of the group behind the last cart with his friend and fellow trainee, Eld Jinn. Eld’s right arm was in a sling and Dean had bandaging wrapped around his head, but other than looking grim and slightly beaten up and bruised, they appeared to be fine. They were walking under their own power at any rate.

“Dean!” Sam took up the cry with his mother as they broke through the crowd.

“Hey,” Dean smiled tiredly before being wrapped up in Mary’s embrace.

“Are you alright? What happened to your head?” Mary demanded, pulling back and held her eldest son at arm’s length.

“I’m fine, Mom,” Dean said before smirking. “You should see the other guy.”

Eld huffed in exasperation, but Mary sighed in relief and pulled Dean in for another hug.

“Hello Eld,” Mary smiled at the other Cadet over Dean’s shoulder.

“Ma’am,” Eld nodded.

“It’s good to see you,” Mary said.

“It’s good to see you too,” Eld smiled back.

“Easy, Mary, let the boy breath,” John said as he and Bobby finally joined the reunion. “Dean.”

“Dad,” Dean nodded back. He was finally released by Mary, only to nearly get bowled over by Sam. “Easy there, squirt!”

“Welcome home, Dean,” Sam mumbled into Dean’s middle.

“…Good to be home, Sammy,” Dean said, ruffling Sam’s hair.

“Is this your family, Winchester?”

They all jumped and turned to face the newcomer.

“Captain Erwin,” Dean and Eld stammered before snapping to attention and gave the custom fist-clenched-over-the-heart salute. John and Bobby also came to attention and saluted the superior officer. “Sir!”

Captain Erwin nodded, returning the salutes with one of his own.

“Yes, sir,” Dean nodded. “This is my mother, Mary, my father, John, my kid brother, Sam, and Bobby Singer, an old family friend.”

Captain Erwin nodded respectfully.

“A pleasure, sirs and ma’am. You should be proud of your son,” he said to Mary and John. “Cadet Dean assisted in three titan kills and felled one all on his own. There’d be even fewer of us here if it weren’t for his skill in the field.”

“With all due respect, Captain, Eld assisted me in that last kill by providing a distraction,” Dean said, head bowed.

“Perhaps, but you engaged the Titan on your own and had no assistance with the kill itself,” Captain Erwin smiled. “You have promise, Cadet. Don’t sell yourself short. This was sadly one of our more brutal surveys and you survived. That’s not to be taken lightly. I see both you and Cadet Eld going far in the Corps. I look forward serving with you both in the future.”

“…Thank you, sir,” Dean and Eld said, looking stunned at the praise.

The Captain looked over his shoulder and saw that their group was still not moving on past Braun’s devastated mother and their worryingly over-emotional Commander.

“It appears that I may have to step in,” the man sighed before turning back to Dean. “As your Commanding Officer, Cadet Dean Winchester, I give you permission to go home with your family. You can turn in your report to me later when you get back to Headquarters. For now, be with your family. You’ve earned it. Cadet Eld, you may go with him if you wish.”

“With all due respect, Captain, I’ll return back to headquarters with our regiment,” Eld said.

“Right, gotta get back to your girl,” Dean smirked at his friend. “Tell Winnie I say hi.”

“It’s my mother that’s waiting for me, and Winnie is _not_ my girl, you smartass, but if I do see her, I’ll give her your greetings,” Eld huffed.

“Riiight,” Dean chuckled. “Catch you later then. Thank you, Captain.”

Captain Erwin just smiled and waved Dean off.

“Thank you, Captain,” Mary said earnestly as she wrapped an arm around Dean’s shoulders, John coming to stand behind her, nodding.

“You’re welcome. Just go home and enjoy each other’s company.”

“We will,” Sam grinned and tugged on Dean’s hand leading them out of the street, through the crowd, and back towards home.

When they got there, Dean was assaulted with more hugs and Mary started beaming and setting the table for the meal she’d been working on all day, happy to have her whole family home. She pulled out all the stops, serving warm fresh loaves of bread to go with her soup, and a platter of meat and cheese. There was laughter and happiness, and for Sam, everything appeared to be perfect… on the surface. Dean was praising Mary’s food, and smiled and laughed with John and Bobby just like he always did when they joked about the goings on in their Garrison squads… but Sam could see the cracks.

Dean’s smile was strained, his laughs forced, and he didn’t eat as much as he usually did when their mom cooked one of his favorite dishes. Normally Dean was all smirks, loud boisterous laughter, and devoured nearly everything in sight until he was ready to burst. He still ate a whole bowl of soup and some of the bread, meat and cheese, but halfway through the meal he’d only been nibbling. He seemed to regain some of his usual exuberant behavior when Mary brought out the pie – apple. Dean’s favorite.

After the early supper, Dean excused himself to his room, claiming that he needed to rest. Mary smiled sympathetically and waved him off. John and Bobby patted Dean on the back as he passed by and Sam watched Dean head up the stairs, worried. Sam had seen Dean’s expression crumble the moment he believed that no one could see him.

Sam excused himself after all the dishes had been collected and washed, and tiptoed up the stairs to his brother’s room.

“Dean?”

There was no answer.

Sam eased the door open and took a look around his brother’s room. It was clean and well organized. Before joining the military, Dean’s room had been in a constant state of disarray and mess, but the still new and almost OCD cleanliness and order of the room he saw now made Sam wonder what Cadet Training did to it’s recruits to make Dean into such a neat freak. The only thing out of place was his brother’s discarded 3D Maneuver Gear, but even that was neatly tucked away in the corner of the room next to Dean’s bed. Normally the gear was checked back in to equipment at the base barracks, but since Captain Erwin had allowed Dean to return home before checking in, Dean still had his gear.

Dean himself was nowhere to be found, however. Sam knelt down next to the equipment. He’d never seen it up close before and Dean had never had it on him during his few trips home during Cadet Training. The complexity of the mechanisms on the device and the series of belts that made up the body harness fascinated Sam, but when he spotted the small flecks and splatters of dark rust-colored blood on the blade sheathe casing it gave him pause. He’d done some digging on what little humans knew about titans with his friend Armin Arlert (had even directly asked Dean about what he’d learned in training a few times) and knew that when a titan or any part of it that is cut off and dies, everything about it rapidly decomposes, including it’s blood (which is why it steams and supposedly stings and burns a bit when it makes contact with human fleshed, because it’s disintegrating).

“What are you doing?”

Sam jumped back guiltily from the equipment at the sound of his brother’s voice and turned around to see Dean leaning in the doorway. His hair was wet and his fresh tunic was a little damp around the collar and the ends of his sleeves. Dean had probably been in the bathroom freshening up and splashing water on his face. The bandage wrapped around his head looked fresh too.

“I…I was just looking. I swear,” Sam stammered.

“… You shouldn’t touch. It’s dangerous equipment and not safe for a scrawny midget like you to be playing around with,” Dean sighed, moving to sit on his bed. He reached down into his pack and pulled out a maintenance kit and began to clean and look over his gear.

“I’m not a scrawny midget,” Sam scowled. “I’m eleven, Dean. Next year, I’ll be old enough to enlist like you did.”

Dean paused before returning to the task of cleaning up the blood on his blade sheath casing.

“Oh, yeah? Will you?”

“Will I what? Enlist? Of course!”

“…And what regiment would you join?”

“I’m not sure. Dad and Uncle Bobby are in the Garrison, but all they do is sit around and patrol the walls and that sounds boring. I guess I’d join the Survey Corps like you. I want to see what’s outside. Eren wants to join them too, though, so maybe I’ll wait a year so that we can enlist and join up together.”

“Does he now… But what if you were lucky and got into the top ten in your class? You’re a nerd. If you applied yourself and got high enough scores on the physical tests, I’m sure you could get into the Military Police and live in the Capital behind Wall Sina.”

“That could be nice,” Sam shrugged. “But it’s probably even more of a bore being an MP than working wall maintenance in the Garrison would be. And who would want to work and live with all those rich busybody snobs anyway?”

Dean chuckled, but it sounded harsh and depreciating to Sam’s ears.

“At least you’d be alive, Sammy.”

“Huh?”

Sam blinked in surprise when he noticed Dean’s hands shaking, and his eyes widened when Dean looked up at him with the most devastated expression on his face.

“Dean?”

“Please, Sammy. If you’re going to enlist, join the Garrison, or the MPs if you can. Be smart about this. Don’t…for the love of God, don’t…”

“…Don’t what, Dean?”

“…Don’t die…” Dean whispered, a tear falling down his cheek. “Don’t pick the regiment that’ll be your death. I wouldn’t be able to bare it if you…were to die like that… Like them… Like Jimmy… Like Braun and Cassie and Lisa and Caleb and all those others I had to watch die today. Oh God… they’re all dead… and I couldn’t do anything for them! I couldn’t save them… Please, Sammy…”

Sam suddenly found himself engulfed in his brother’s powerful embrace and nearly had all the air squeezed out of his lungs, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Dean was sobbing now and Sam had never seen his cocky and over-confidant brother loose it like he was.

“…Okay, Dean,” Sam said softly, wrapping his own arms around Dean. “I won’t join the Survey Corps.”

Dean squeezed him harder for a moment before releasing him.

“Thank you, Sammy.”

BOOM!

The whole house shook and Sam cried out in surprise when a large rock that was almost as big as he was fell through the ceiling at the other end of Dean’s bedroom, the roof rattling as it was pelted with other things.

“…That looks like…” Dean whispered, paling as he examined the rock. “It is… it’s a chunk of the wall… but that means-!”

Dean raced back to his bed and began strapping his 3DMG gear back on.

“Dean?!” Sam gasped in surprise when he was suddenly pushed out of his brother’s room and practically dragged down the stairs.

“Are you two alright?!” John demanded when they joined the adults. A rock even larger than the one in Dean’s room had fallen through the kitchen’s ceiling and crushed the stove. Rubble was everywhere, but no one looked hurt.

“We’re fine. Sam, stay with Mom, Dad and Bobby,” Dean barked before he darted out the front door.

“Dean!” they all cried out for the young man and rushed out after him. Sam saw that there were even more chunks of debris littered around their street and on the roofs of other houses and was just in time to see Dean deploy one of the 3DMG’s grappling hooks and swing up onto their neighbor’s roof. Dean stood up there for a minute before jumping back down.

“Boy, what the hell has gotten into-!” John started but Dean talked over him, his face whiter than before, but set in a grim and determined expression.

“I saw it for only a moment, but it was a titan. A huge one that could see over the wall.”

“That’s impossible,” John scoffed. “The walls are over 50 meters tall. The largest titan ever reported was 22 meters.”

“Well apparently not. There is rumble scattered all around for the next few blocks. Dad, I saw a segment of the Iron Gate. Shiganshina has been breached. We need to evacuate the city behind Wall Maria before this district is over run with titans.”

“Dean, you can’t be serious,” John frowned.

“And I suppose those are just new skylights you now have in your roof!” Dean shouted, waving a hand back towards their house that had more than the holes over Dean’s room and the kitchen in the roof. “We need to get everyone out of here!”

Sam was starting to here screams in the distance and felt the ground quake minutely beneath his feet. Then a terrible roar and animalistic cries started to echo around them coming from the direction of the gate.

“Oh my God,” Mary gasped. “John, Dean’s right. We need to get out of here.”

“Shit,” John growled.

“I need to get home to Karen,” Bobby gasped. “We’ll meet you lot at the boats.”

“Right,” John nodded. “I’ll come with you. Your house is in the direction of headquarters. We need to get there and gear up. Dean, you get your mother and brother to the boats.”

“But-!” Dean started to protest.

“That’s an order, soldier!” John snapped. “You’re the only one in full gear right now, so it’s your job to protect them. Take them with you and run!”

“Yes, sir,” Dean sighed.

“John… Be safe,” Mary gasped, hugging her husband tight before taking Sam’s hand.

“I will,” John told her before tugging Sam in for a quick hug. “Sammy, listen to your mother, and do what your brother tells you.”

“Yes, sir!” Sam said, watching his father and Bobby run off down the street.

“Right, lets go,” Dean huffed, turning in the direction of the river where the boats would be and lead the way.

Sam ran alongside his mother as they followed Dean through the streets, occasionally picking up a neighbor along the way. Soon they had a sizable group with them as they got closer and closer to their destination. They were only a few streets away when one of the buildings on their left suddenly exploded. Sam felt himself be pushed forward and into Dean’s back, knocking them both over. When he got his bearings again, Sam noticed that the building hadn’t exploded. A titan had fallen into it from the other side.

“Shit!” Dean cursed. “Sam, grab Mom and get out of here!”

“What are you going to do?” Sam asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Dean smirked, looking like his usual cocky self for the first time since he’d come home.

“Dean, wait!” Sam cried, but it was too late.

Dean deployed his grappling hooks and swung off to face the titan that was now reaching for the injured members of their group who’d been stunned and dazed by the building’s debris. Sam spotted his mother among them and raced forward to get to her. It looked like she’d hurt her ankle or her foot as she limped backwards from the monster in fear.

“Mom!”

“Sammy!”

Sam raced forwards, eyes wide with fear when he saw the titan’s hand come down towards Mary, but then the beast cried out and it fell to the side, outstretched hand going limp and the building sinking under the weight of the now dead titan, blocking off their route to the docks. Sam looked up and saw Dean swing down on his 3DMG and slid to a halt in front of the stunned group.

“We can’t stay here,” Dean said over the crowd. “There are more titans coming this way. We need to double back a few blocks and take a new route.”

The small crowd agreed easily, many looking at Dean in awe as he led the way. Sam was one of them. It had only been a short time ago that Dean had been sobbing over the loss of his fellow soldiers. Now Dean was standing tall, strong and imposing. He’d taken on that titan all on his own and won. His brother was definitely worthy of Captain Erwin’s praise earlier.

They ran into two more titans on their way around to the docks, having to change their route many more times due to building damages, and Dean had taken both out all on his own, but the second one they’d encountered had been an abnormal and it ended up killing half of their group… including Mary Winchester.

Sam stood there stunned staring at the rumble where he had been standing only a minute ago. The abnormal was only 4 meters tall, but it had been fast and had ambushed them just a few blocks shy of the docks. It had taken hold of a carriage and threw the thing at them, taking out a few of their group. Then it had crippled a clock tower when Dean engaged it, throwing its weight into the structure and sent bits of it falling down on the people below. Sam had become distracted when the creature had gotten hold of Dean’s cable line, throwing him into the air. Dean had cut the line with one of his blades before the titan could tug him down into the ground or lob him into one of the surrounding buildings. He instead managed to swing down and around the remains of the clock tower and got the beast from behind.

Sam was so fixated on watching Dean that he failed to notice that debris from the clock tower had managed to damage the building behind him and had destroyed the integrity of some of the upper story balconies over head. One such balcony couldn’t take the strain and a large section of it broke off, hurtling down towards him.

“Sammy!”

Sam had looked up in time to see his mother – face white and eyes wide with fear – before she pushed him hard and out of the way. Now she was gone…and it was all his fault.

“Sam! Sammy! Move! We’ve got to find Mom and go!”

Sam turned around and looked up at his brother, who was standing there panting, looking tired and worn, titan blood steaming on his hands, blades, and clothes, and bleeding from a new cut on his forehead, the blood a brilliant red against the white bandaging from his earlier injury while on the Survey Corps’ expedition.

“Dean… Mom is…”

Dean’s brows furrowed in confusion before he looked over at the rubble in front of Sam. Sam saw the moment Dean comprehended the situation. A look of devastation equal to the one he’d sported earlier when he’d told Sam about his fallen comrades flashed over his face before it was walled up and replaced by one of steely determination and anger.

“Come on, Sam. We need to get to the boats. We’re almost there.”

Sam nodded, looking back one last time, numbly, at the rubble before Dean took hold of his arm and pulled him back to rejoin the remains of their group, many of them injured from their latest encounter with the titans.

They finally reached the docks and Dean somehow managed to get them to the front of the line for the next boat. Sam spotted Armin with his grandfather, the younger blonde boy looking relieved to see him.

“Sam, go with Armin and his gramps, okay?” Dean said, giving Sam a little push up the boarding ramp.

“What? Why? Where are you going?” Sam asked.

“I’m going to do my job, Sammy,” Dean said, eyes hard. “I’m a member of the Survey Corps. I’ve fought titans outside the walls and I know what to expect. These soldiers in the Garrison don’t have that kind of experience. I have to help them.”

“No! Dean, please! Stay! I need you! Mom’s dead and we haven’t seen Dad or Uncle Bobby and Aunty Karen yet… Please! I-I… I can’t loose you too.”

Sam was aware he was crying, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. His mom was dead because he’d allowed himself to be distracted in the middle of a battle zone.

“Hey,” Dean said, crouching down so that their eyes were level. “I’ll be fine. I promise. I swear to you, Sammy, I ain’t dyin’ today. You hear? When this is all over, I’ll find you. I promise. Until then, stick with Armin and his gramps and stay safe.”

“Dean…”

Sam hugged his brother tight, tears streaming down his face and Dean held him back just as fiercely, lips pressing hard onto the top of Sam’s head in a kiss.

“I promise,” Dean whispered. “I’m not gonna die today. I survived outside the wall. I sure as hell am surviving this. I’ll find you, Sam. Just hang in there kiddo and stay safe. If you can do that for me, then I’ll definitely come back.”

“You’d better,” Sam gasped, finally letting go. “Or I’ll kick your ass you big jerk.”

“Whiny bitch.” Dean gave him a watery smirk before taking off.

Sam watched him disappear into the crowd before joining Armin.

“Where’s Dean going?” his friend asked.

“…He’s going to fight with the Garrison against the titans,” Sam said softly.

“…I’m sure he’ll be alright, Sam,” Armin said slowly. “…He’s Dean. He survived his first trip outside the walls, didn’t he? And the Garrison is a lot bigger than the Survey Corps is, so I’m sure with that much back up he’ll be fine.”

“…Yeah. He took out three titans on his own to get me and our neighbors here,” Sam murmured.

“What?! Three?!” Armin gasped.

“Yeah.”

“I don’t think you need to worry, Samuel,” Armin’s grandfather spoke up. “He’s a strong young man who’s too stubborn to die. He’ll be fine.”

“Yeah…he promised, after all,” Sam said, staring out at the crowd still waiting to get on the boats.

“Then he’ll definitely be alright. He’s never broken one of his promises,” Armin smiled. “Oh! Look! It’s Eren and Mikasa!”

Sam looked up and took in his friend’s drawn expressions. Eren looked stunned and as if he were in shock.

“Eren…” Armin breathed.

“Now isn’t a good time to talk to them,” Armin’s grandfather said wisely. “Those poor souls. You can tell what happened just by looking at them.”

“Huh?” Armin gasped, looking back at the old man.

Sam pursed his lips and nodded. He felt the same. He himself was still in shock over loosing his mother. It still didn’t feel real. He could only assume that the same thing had happened with Eren’s parents. Eren and Mikasa were alone after all, escorted by Mr. Hanes of the Garrison.

Not long after, the boat was filled to capacity and they began their voyage out of Shiganshina District. Sam and Armin sat quietly as they listened to the people around them talk, wondering why this was happening and discussing how terrible it all was and how many lives had been lost so far. Sam couldn’t help but look back when they passed through Wall Maria. Was Dean still safe? What about his dad and Bobby? Did they find Karen and get her out on another boat already? Or were they all dead, like Mary? Sam closed his eyes and prayed that they were alright.

Thump!

Sam and Armin looked up in alarm at the loud steady thumps that echoed from behind the wall. They stopped for a moment, but then they returned getting louder and louder and closer together, like the sound of someone – or some _thing_ – running.

BOOM!

Sam and Armin gasped as the gate between Shiganshina and the towns inside of Wall Maria blew open, dust flying up into the air. When it settled Sam could make out what looked like a 15-meter tall titan with shining bronze skin that reminded him of armor.

“They… made it inside,” Armin gasped.

“God help us,” Armin’s grandfather whispered.

“It’s all over. Humanity… is going to be devoured by the titans again,” someone cried.

Whispers like that were all over the ship. As the sun was setting, Sam and Armin made their way over to the end of the ship where Mikasa and Eren were sitting. On their way they saw Eren get up with an angry expression on his face, heading towards the railing.

“What’s the matter, Eren?” Armin asked.

‘What’s the matter? It’s everything, Armin,’ Sam thought.

Eren slammed the palms of his hands down onto the railing.

“I’m gonna destroy them! Every last one of those animals that’s on this earth!” Eren declared, rage burning in his eyes.

Sam was almost afraid of the intensity with which his friend had spoken. But that steely glint of determination in Eren’s eyes reminded him of Dean after he’d learned their mother was dead. Those kind of eyes held a promise in them. The promise of revenge.

“Eren…” Armin whispered, looking sad.

They watched Eren glare angrily out over the water as the ship slowly brought them closer to Trost District and safety where they’d stay in the refugee shelters until better living quarters could be arranged. Sam waited anxiously for Dean to find him, but as each day passed with no word, he began to loose hope.


End file.
